Car-coupling



(No Model.)

L. I.- HINKLE.

(JAE COUPLING. No. 266,822. Patented Oct. 31, 1882.

WITNESSES NVENTOR l ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. LEWIS I. HINKLE, OF PIEDMONT, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,822, dated October 31, 1882.

Application filed August 17, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS I. HINKLE, of Piedmont, in the county of \Nayne and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention is an improvement in the class of car-couplings in which the draw-heads are provided with a fixed horn or pin that projects upward from the front end thereof, and with which the link may engage automati' callv.

The novel features of the invention are the means for raising the link for the purpose of uncoupling.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view (part being broken away) of a drmv-head, link; and pin constructed and connected according to my improvement. Fig.2 is aplan view.

The letter A indicates the draw-head, from the front end and upper side of which a horn, u, projects vertically. The front side of said horn a is inclined or beveled from the base upward, and the opposite or rear side is preferably notched to prevent accidental detachment of the link B. The latter is of the same form as, but somewhat longer than, those in cominonnse. Its rear end enters a hood, 0, formed on the upper side and rear portion of the draw-head A, and the pin D passes through said hood and link, as shown. The head b of the pin D has the shape of a spearhead-that is to say, it is flat and beveled on opposite edges, thus forming angular basal projections or wings that are adapted to enter an undercut cavity in the top of hood 0 for the purpose of holding the pin in place. By turning the pin D one-quarter round it may be raised to release the link B. When the latter is in horizontal position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, it will couple cars automatically-that is to say, when two cars meet which are provided with my improved coupling attachment the free end of the link that is horizontal will ride up on the horn on of the draw-head of the opposite car, and, passing over it, look therewith, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. For the purpose of disengaging the link B from such horn, and thereby uncoupling the cars, I employ the double-crank lever E, which is pivoted transversely on top of the drawhead A, about midway between the horn aand hood 0. As shown, said lever consists of a metal plate, d, attached fixedly to a rod, each end of which is bent so as to form a crank, e, which is used in adjusting the lever as required. Instead of the plate 01, a. bent rod or a skeleton t'raine might obviously be employed with the same result. In the normal or usual position of the lever the part (1 lies flat on the draw-head A, as shown in full lines, Fig. l; but by means of the crankarm 0 the part 61 may be raised and thrown back against the hood 0, as shown in dotted lines 1. It will retain this position and hold the link B elevated at an angle of about thirty degrees until turned down by rotating the crank. The device d e is also often utilized in coupling, since it is necessary to raise thelink B-more orless, in case the opposite draw-head is higher than the one to which the link is attached, which would prevent automatic coupling.

For sake of greater security, the links of opposed dra-w-heads are usually engaged with the horns at the same time; but for hauling light trainsas, for instance, in making up trains-one link will suffice.

\Vhat I claim is-- 1. The combination, with thelink and hood having wings or sides whose front edges are inclined rearwardly, ot' the crank-lever d e, which is hinged beneath the link in proximity to the hood, so that when thrown back it will rest on the latter and support the link.

2. The combination, with the link and a device for adjusting it, of the hood 0 and a pin, D, arranged as specified.

3. The combination of the pin having aspearshaped head, with the hood 0, having an undercut cavity, and the link B, as shown and described.

L. I. HINKLE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. MOCOWN, L. M. BYRNE. 

